The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-04
IIe never ilnuked and he never lied ;
reckon he never kuowd how"
AN OLD TINE CAPTAIN.

Hc AN OLD TIME CAPTAIN.
Just before going GU board, the editor oi
the Nstchez Democrat hsd called ny az
tention to an article that had lately come
out in tho New York Post about Captain
Tom, two columns long. written, it was
said, by some lady who gets up what she
cRlls "Sonthern Silhouettea" for that pa
par. The old fellow had read it and was
evidently pleased with II, as we'll ho might
be, for it was very complimentary indeed
to all Of his petuliarities; speaking OF him,
among other things, rs one who has "the
voice Of lion and the heart Of girl"
What better could any one say Of steau,.
boat captain than that?
Old Tom NOUNS tbeae degenerate days
on the Mississippi. lie has come down
to what he regards piddling husinees
wheeler-whereas he has been command
er and principal owner in his time Of
seven boata named "Natchez, ,"-greatside-
wheeled leyisthsus that could carry their
five to seven Thousand bales OF cotton esch
as easily IS the "Lsathero'' can ca11y hall
that amount. Ho ciings now to tho hope
that the interstate commerce bill will
hit the railroads blow between the eyes,
and restore something OF the old-sine
river trpde.
You should hear this old Neptune
deRcant upon Captain Eads and the jetty
Systen ct the mouth OF the Misssaippi.
The expletives Of "our army in Flanders" a"
historic as they are, would sound common
place, presume, by comparison. And
yet they say that oil his oaths are like
those OF "Uncls Toby's," blotted out by
tho tear Of tho angel who records them,
because it is Old Tom, with the "voice Of
q lien and the heart Of girl" who uttera
them.
Floating down the Mississippi is d rsthor
stuped business to any ons who has once
before been over the route, The couatry
is so ''Hamee." It is the aamo sight Of cot
ton wood trees, turbid waters, low lying
country, and lat this season) sore looking
plantations aud their negro cabins. Wher-
over the boat lands and "holds her nozzle
agin the bank" q LOT Of the crumhly sandy
loan falls into the river, and there are
always half dozen OF darSies and one or
| two white people on hands on the bank,
and generally there is a darky family with
their crazy looking traps to get on or oil.
Tho negro is a source Of profit to the
Southern boats aud no mistake. He keeps
himself and his dependents OF and on end
pays good price for his deck passage.
s5g' "a MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY"
On our way down we passed the site Of
Fort Adams, on Mississippi bluff, and l
thought OF the story Of Richard Nolen, q
Lieutenant In the army OF the United
States at that place, in 1910, who uttered
those words that caused him to be sent
abroad on government vessel and con-
demned him never to hear the words
"United States uttered in his hearing.
That pathetic tale of nthe man without q
country" was good enough to have been
true, and coming out as 1t did during the
| war, produced an effect only second per-
haps to "Uncle TOMS Cabin" Is
1t takes only about thirty hours Tor the
Lesthers to run down irom. Natchez to
New Orleans, and 80 on the morning ol
the 10th We found her tied up at her
wharf at the loot Of Canal street and the
roustabouts busily at work unloading her
cotton. And there was, quite uuexpect.
edly to myself two days before, back at
New 0rlesrs again, whereas I.had planned
to go from Eatchez to Memphis and
thence out to this beautiful Tennessee
Valley portion Of Northern Alabama. So
it is that tho unexpected thing is that
which happens. However, it Is always
interesting to see once more this great
Crescent shaped city Of the far South, and
l did not regret the two pleasant days thai
I spent there on my way hither. Among
those whom I CHANGED to meet this time
was G General Mcmillan, the ex-postmaster
with whom, No come Of your readers may
remember, I had an interview on the Re
publican political situation in the South
| in 1883. The General is still Repuhli
can, but thought there was some change
in his tone now as compared with 'SS
Somehow he seeued moro phllosophic
Now he thinks things will work them
Sslves out, and that it is well enough tt
let the aolored brother stick close to tn
plow and give politics wide birth.
~ NO PoL,Tlcs TAILED. 81
I hays had very little mention Of pol
itics in my recent letters, as you may hay
observed. 1t is Eubject Of which 20,
hear little down this way at this time
lTho raonla oya ubvorhad IN Tho ,nrorif n